Mystery of the Mermaid Moon Pool
by LoveStoryMermaid
Summary: Rikki had gone to challenge the water tentacle. What if it had actually attacked her instead?


Mystery of the Mermaid Moon Pool

Rikki was furious. She'd be damned if she needed anyone to save her. Not Will. Not Zane. She'd been so stupid, thinking Zane would ever understand. Thing was, she really thought he'd started to put her first over the past few months. She didn't ask for help lightly and the moment she did, he all but threw it in her face. After everything, Zane still put him and his ego before her. Well, so be it. She was no damsel in distress and she didn't need their help.

Rikki dove into the water, relishing the change and how everything simply disappeared when she was in the water. She made good time to the moon pool, but still took her time on the way, enjoying the life underwater. It was so quiet and had a still quality to it, yet everything was absolutely alive. Did it seem even more so tonight? She wasn't sure, but it was beautiful. She smiled as a school of brightly colored fish swam past her just before she entered the tunnel to the moon pool.

There was nothing to do now but wait. Rikki had dried herself off shortly after coming to the moon pool. She hadn't wanted to push it, being in the moon pool too close to moonrise. She looked around the cavern. She had such a strange relationship with this place. It equally entranced her as it did frightened her; yet, there was no place in the world she felt more secure, more at home. Looking around, her home felt different. It always felt alive, but there was a distinct energy about it tonight that was different than usual. Maybe it was a mermaid thing, maybe not; but, she could sense it in everything here from the glistening, cold volcanic rock to the ripples in the tide pools on the walls to the light catching in the moon pool. This place was ancient and tonight Rikki felt a pull to the place.

She watched as the starry night sky over the crater gave way to the full moon coming into view. The water in the pool started to bubble. She jumped out of the way, startled, as a waterfall erupted and shot water darts into the pool. And there it was. The water tentacle twisting and rising from the pool with a head that resembled a faceless snake scared her, but Rikki would not run from this. She stood her ground and challenged it. It sensed her; she could tell. It immediately snapped toward her regarding her for a second. It was terrifying, but it was also beautiful. She could see so many different colors in it and in that moment, it seemed to be trying to figure her out as much as she was it. Then it shot straight towards her heart and she collapsed.

The moon has passed the zenith of the crater and the moon pool was calm and quiet when Will arrived to find Rikki lying motionless on the sand.

"Rikki!" He called, running over and shaking her. "Rikki!"

Rikki was limp and very cold in his arms. He'd been too late. Frantically, he checked for a pulse and was relieved to find a weak one.

"Rikki!" He called again. Still no response. He pulled out his phone and called Cleo. "Cleo! I found Rikki. She's at the moon pool. But, but she's not waking up. You guys have to get over her. Quick!"

"Rikki!" Cleo cried as her head pierced the surface of the moon pool just a few minutes later.

Bella was right behind her. "Will, what happened?!"

"I don't know," he replied. "I'm so sorry. I was trying to help and then I think I just upset her more and she dove off. I should have gotten here sooner."

"Yes, you should have." Zane replied, furious, as he ran into the cave.

"At least I'm here!" Will shot back. "You're the one that turned her away when she asked for help!"

"Well a lot of good you did!"

"STOP IT!" Cleo cried. "Will, it's not your fault. And fighting isn't going to help Rikki right now."

Zane went over to where Will was still holding Rikki. Will let him have her. Zane stroked her hair back and cradled her as he called. "Rikki. Rikki, please wake up. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. You asked for my help and I let myself be too busy to be bothered. Just wake up and I promise that will never happen again. Rikki, please. Rikki, wake up." No response. Zane looked around desperately. "What do we do? Should we put her in the water?"

Cleo shook her head. "I don't know. Water's always a risk on the fool moon."

"We have to do something! You're in it and seem just fine. Right now, she's not responding at all and so I say it's worth a try."

Cleo looked uncertain, but nodded. "Okay, let's try."

Zane picked Rikki up and carried her over to the edge of the pool, gently lowering her into the water. Cleo caught her while he held onto one of Rikki's hands.

"Rikki, come on," Cleo pleaded, "We need you to wake up."

Suddenly, Cleo and Zane both let out a cry as a hot shock of electricity hit their hands, causing them to let go her.

"She shocked me!" Zane said.

Cleo and Bella dove underwater to try and grab their friend, careful as she reached out to her and grateful to find no shock upon touching her. This time, Rikki took a deep breath as her head broke the surface and she opened her eyes.

"Rikki!" everyone exclaimed.

She looked around slowly and wide eyed. "Zane? What are you doing here?

"Rikki, I'm so sorry. You asked for my help and I didn't listen."

"Rikki, are you okay?" Cleo asked, "You were unconscious for a long time. Will found you on the sand."

Rikki nodded slowly. "I'm okay. We're okay. It-It's not trying to hurt us."

"N-Not trying to hurt you!" Zane sputtered. "Rikki, it just attacked you!"

"Don't try to pretend you understand this!" Rikki shot back at him and turned to Cleo and Bella. "It's not trying to hurt us, you have to trust me. It's just been trying to get our attention. It's trying to help."

"I think Rikki might be right, Cleo," Bella supported. "Last full moon I had the same sense when it took me."

Cleo shook her head. "I don't know, guys. Both times it looked like it attacked you and was trying to kill you."

"It's energy," Rikki explained. "Energy that's manifested in water. Come on, I want to show you. It won't hurt us, trust me."

"Rikki!" Zane protested.

"I don't need your help, Zane." Rikki replied stonily.

Rikki dove underwater and, after a second, Cleo and Bella shared a glance and followed her to the bottom of the tunnel. There was a small underwater cavern there they hadn't noticed before and the tentacle was wavering in front of it. Rikki swam up to it slowly, reaching out her hand but not touching it. It regarded the three of them and reached out to Rikki's hand, stopping just before it touched. It did the same with Bella and Cleo. Then it disappeared.

Rikki, Cleo and Bella swam back up to the moon pool. "Did you feel that?" Rikki asked.

Cleo nodded, "It wanted us together. It's like it wanted to know it could count on us for…something. But, it won't come after us anymore. At least, not like it has been."

Bella agreed. "I don't know what, or how, but something's different. In a good way."

"What are you guys talking about?" Zane asked.

Rikki answered. "You need to go. Both of you. Will, thank you, but I'm okay. Zane…we'll talk later. But right now, you need to go. We'll find you later."

"It's okay, Will," Bella reassured.

Rikki, Cleo and Bella spent the remainder of the night at the moon pool, completely alert and relishing in being out like they hadn't in a long time. They took turns playing games with their powers, making different shapes from them and challenging each other in dive games. The tentacle even reappeared briefly, but simply moving alongside them like another friend. They didn't understand it yet, but that was okay. They were mermaids and that meant that some things would be strange and wouldn't able to be understood. And that knowledge told them they'd be okay here in full moons to come. This place wasn't trying to hurt them. This place was their home.


End file.
